Chairman: Party, State Policies Ensure Basic Needs of Religious Organizations and People
Ha Noi (VNA) August 2 - The implementation of the Party's resolutions on religious issues and the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs has met the basic needs of religious organizations and people, said Ngo Yen Thi, Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs.
In an interview granted to the
The transfer of religious dignitaries has also become easier, said Thi. Religious organizations moved 427 dignitaries between regions in the country last year. Local authorities have facilitated the establishment and division of affiliates by religious organist ions.
Meanwhile, religious training has seen a boom in both the number of training courses and trainees; last year more than 6,400 people enrolled in religious schools and 5,417 graduated.
Many places of worship have been built or repaired to meet followers' needs, with 165 new centers built in 2004. Many localities have granted certificates of land use right to religious organizations to build offices, places of worship and schools. In addition, favorable conditions have been created for religious organizations to publish books.
Thi stressed that the State also encourages religious organizations to get involve in social and humanitarian activities. Religious organizations raise tens of billions of VND each year for poor people, and open many child care facilities and medical centers providing free services to poor and disabled people.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyen Thanh Xuan concurred in a separate interview with the army daily Quan doi Nhan dan that religious freedom is a consistent principle of the Vietnamese Party and State.
He added, however, that the abuse of religions for ill political purposes should be fought resolutely.
Xuan said hostile forces are always trying to use the name of religions to undermine
